1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to client-server networks and, more particularly, to systems and methods that provide financial information, such as stock ticker information.
2. Description of Related Art
Today, many users search for financial information on the Internet, and stock/mutual fund/market index “ticker information” (e.g., current price, past prices, volume, market capitalization, dividend, and other related information for a stock or a mutual fund) in particular. Typically, such searches require the user to find an online quote provider (e.g., Excite™ Money & Investing, Quote.com™, Fool.com™, MSN™ MoneyCentral™, ClearStation™, etc.), and then to fill in one or more ticker symbols (e.g., AAPL, IBM, VWNDX, etc.) within a specialized, ticker-only field. Such ticker-only fields typically process ticker information exclusively.
Such a limited, ticker-only format is not conducive to free-form text entry, for example typing a series of words and spaces and striking a return/enter key when finished. For example, “stock information for aapl” may not return a result when entered in a ticker-only field. Further, the entry of information into such ticker-only fields requires a user to search for and locate such a ticker-only field before obtaining stock/mutual fund/market index ticker information.
As a result, there exists a need for mechanisms that facilitate the provision of stock/mutual fund/market index ticker information, without requiring the entry of ticker symbols in dedicated, ticker-only fields.